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[RalphH]

Once again Ralph. You are ignoring the basic math.

In the early 70s a man with a grade 10 education could go to work in trades and buy a single family home with a nice yard. Keep in mind that BC boxes back then were mostly under 10 years of age. Considered to be very new homes. The wife didn't have to work. They could have multiple kids. Money left over after payday. Homes were paid off in 15 years easy.

Fast forward to 2025:
Both husband and wife need to be working and earning a professional wage at least in order to purchase a single family home with a yard. If just starting out, this usually includes renting out the basement suite in order for the mortgage to be paid. These same BC box homes are now over 50 years old. They are not new anymore.
Forget the wife staying home and raising kids. The husband would have to be a doctor or lawyer for that to happen. Both professions require a person to be almost 28 years of age before school is even finished.

Again Ralph....it's just math. You're an accountant. You should be able to recognize trends and differences. But you don't. Like so many other boomers, you are hardened in your own little boomer bubble.
1970 compared to 2025 financially is like being in a completely different dimension. How do you not see that?

Hah Hah Hah! What does you usual rant have to do with what I said? Nothing! If I "do the math" (again you aren't talking about math. You don't know math from demographics or your arse for that matter) were you born or even much past your toddler years in the early 70s? What do you know about the early 70s. Nothing.

[SuperBobby]

Hah Hah Hah! What does you usual rant have to do with what I said? Nothing! If I "do the math" (again you aren't talking about math. You don't know math from demographics or your arse for that matter) were you born or even much past your toddler years in the early 70s? What do you know about the early 70s. Nothing.

What a typical immature 'spinning' response from you. I shouldn't have expected anything else from you.

[adriaticum]

Hah Hah Hah! What does you usual rant have to do with what I said? Nothing! If I "do the math" (again you aren't talking about math. You don't know math from demographics or your arse for that matter) were you born or even much past your toddler years in the early 70s? What do you know about the early 70s. Nothing.

Unless you are just trying to personally attack the guy, which is between the two of you,
you have shown nothing that indicates that YOU know what you are talking about.

In fact it doesn't take a high degree of math to know that economy, life and prospects in general peaked in the 70s.
It was the best it was ever going to be for people here.
It's all downhill from there.
On occasion there is a credit boom that gives people are temporary high, but everything else is more or less a hangover.

[RalphH]

I say again I said nothing about the 70s other than it was a period of "stagflation". That's not math it's verifiable fact. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagflation


Adriaticum what was your experience of the 70s? I came of age in the 70s and I can tell you not many though highly of the decade at the time. Gary Trudeau, author of the Doonsbury comic strip called it "..a kidney stone of a decade!" as it turned into the 80s. It's like now that he is gone, Mulroney was a great Prime Minister. He was called the most hated man in Canada when he left office. The future reinvents the past. It's a recognized historical phenomena.

[wildmanyeah]

I say again I said nothing about the 70s other than it was a period of "stagflation". That's not math it's verifiable fact. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagflation


Adriaticum what was your experience of the 70s? I came of age in the 70s and I can tell you not many though highly of the decade at the time. Gary Trudeau, author of the Doonsbury comic strip called it "..a kidney stone of a decade!" as it turned into the 80s. It's like now that he is gone, Mulroney was a great Prime Minister. He was called the most hated man in Canada when he left office. The future reinvents the past. It's a recognized historical phenomena.

My friends dad said he was working in construction in 1970's making 22$ an hour and in the 80's he was making 5$ an hour just to keep his job.

[RalphH]

My friends dad said he was working in construction in 1970's making 22$ an hour and in the 80's he was making 5$ an hour just to keep his job.

Yeah I can believe that. I have a story like that myself. By the late 70s Union construction workers were highly paid for the time. But as I also said above, the 70s were followed by a deep recession and Unionized construction work in BC all but vanished. Most of those firms were wiped out as were the jobs. The 70s were a decade of high inflation and an inflationary wage and price cycle that crippled the economy. In the early 80s interest rates approached 20%. My Sister and brother in law refinanced at 18% over 5 years. When we bought our first house the rate we got was about 11% and we felt very lucky - that was a good rate for the time.

[Roderick]

Interesting stat from an article in Fortune mag.  It's about the USA but it's probably much the same up here. 

https://fortune.com/2025/11/07/housing-market-affordability-crisis-40-year-old-first-time-homebuyer/

"Average American first-time homebuyer is 40 years old"

"A year ago, the median age was 38 years old, and that’s up from 36 in 2022, 33 in 2020 and 28 in 1991."

[redside1]

My friends dad said he was working in construction in 1970's making 22$ an hour and in the 80's he was making 5$ an hour just to keep his job.

I had a number of buddies on work share programs in the early 1980's. hated all their mid week fishing they had while I still had my 5 day a week job.
Another not talked about part of the late 1970's early 1980's is the incredibly high interest rates compared to today. Made purchasing anything a challenge. 

[redside1]

Interesting stat from an article in Fortune mag.  It's about the USA but it's probably much the same up here. 

https://fortune.com/2025/11/07/housing-market-affordability-crisis-40-year-old-first-time-homebuyer/

"Average American first-time homebuyer is 40 years old"

"A year ago, the median age was 38 years old, and that’s up from 36 in 2022, 33 in 2020 and 28 in 1991."

wonder how much of the age change is bad habits, poor money management. pre social media there wasn't all the "FOMO" happening and in your face marketing around tricking you into spending money you don't have. Home brewed coffee in the morning vs $10 at Tim's or Starbuck every day. Holiday trips all over the world on credit. My parents had to scrimp and save to be able to keep a roof over our head, clothed and fed. Nowadays the 20-40 crowd are all jet setting all over the world spending like crazy.

[RalphH]

Yes, while I am convinced the financial barriers of home ownership is a significant factor in the post boomer generations slow adoption of traditional lifestyles  there are others as well. Pre-covid there was a lot of noise about how they valued "experiences" over possessions (hence the rejection of  home ownership for travel). Plus there is the growing gender divide; women approaching 30 to 40 interested in raising a family versus men addicted to avoiding commitment; the manosphere vs the new feminism and so on. Of course these values interact. If you can't afford a house and family concentrate your efforts on other values. BTW my son and girlfriend bought a condo in the center of Vancouver during the pandemic, both in their mid-30s. They really love it!

[bigblockfox]

As for the Richmond ruling, it's the first time UNDRIP has come into direct conflict with common law in Canada.   It is true that the band originally didn't ask for title to private land, but now that they won, they are asking for way more on appeal.  Clearly it has to end somewhere, as UNDRIP is not a blank cheque.  I think this ruling, and the inevitable appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, sets up a discussion that in the end will result in private property rights being upheld in Canada.  Anything else will result in a conflict that neither side wants.

Completely agree, feel sorry for the land owners who are caught in the drama intill the dust settles.

[RalphH]

...
As for the Richmond ruling, it's the first time UNDRIP has come into direct conflict with common law in Canada.   It is true that the band originally didn't ask for title to private land, but now that they won, they are asking for way more on appeal.  Clearly it has to end somewhere, as UNDRIP is not a blank cheque.  I think this ruling, and the inevitable appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, sets up a discussion that in the end will result in private property rights being upheld in Canada.  Anything else will result in a conflict that neither side wants.

While AFAIK the case, trial and ruling did not rely mainly on UNDRIP. My interpretation is the conflict is with the 1982 Constitution Act and the summary of the court declaration is:

"The Crown grants of fee simple interest in the Cowichan Title Lands, and the Crown vesting of the soil and freehold interest in certain highway lands in the Cowichan Title Lands, unjustifiably infringe the Cowichan’s Aboriginal title;"

"With respect to the Cowichan Title Lands, BC owes a duty to the Cowichan to negotiate in good faith reconciliation of the Crown granted fee simple interests held by third parties and the Crown vesting of the soil and freehold interest to Richmond with Cowichan Aboriginal title, in a manner consistent with the honour of the Crown;..."

the ruling is available here: https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcsc/doc/2025/2025bcsc1490/2025bcsc1490.html#SCJTITLEBookMark5401

a further analysis is available here: https://jfklaw.ca/cowichan-tribes-and-private-property-separating-fact-from-fiction/

where they state:

"The Court also did not hold that Aboriginal title automatically or necessarily displaces fee simple title. Instead, the Court clarified that Aboriginal title and fee simple interests can coexist, though their exercise may sometimes conflict. What the decision makes clear is that reconciliation is needed between these overlapping interests, and it is British Columbia’s constitutional obligation to advance that reconciliation."

[salmonrook]

Yes, while I am convinced the financial barriers of home ownership is a significant factor in the post boomer generations slow adoption of traditional lifestyles  there are others as well. Pre-covid there was a lot of noise about how they valued "experiences" over possessions (hence the rejection of  home ownership for travel). Plus there is the growing gender divide; women approaching 30 to 40 interested in raising a family versus men addicted to avoiding commitment; the manosphere vs the new feminism and so on. Of course these values interact. If you can't afford a house and family concentrate your efforts on other values. BTW my son and girlfriend bought a condo in the center of Vancouver during the pandemic, both in their mid-30s. They really love it!

Good take , I hear my gen y\z kids saying this as well and I think it's just grousing about having to do what the adults did before them . The other factor is that the newer generation is less likely to drive a old junker and buy a old fixer upper in the burbs like I did . Agree that road to home  ownership can start with a condo .People who have worked for 40 + years are the ones driving better vehicles and living in homes that they have renovated . Where there's a will there's a way .

[SuperBobby]

The other factor is that the newer generation is less likely to drive a old junker and buy a old fixer upper in the burbs like I did . .

Answer for that is simple. The 1990s are over.
The days of fixing your own vehicles is all but over for the average Joe.
I'm useless at fixing vehicles, but back in the day..... even I could get my 90s Ford Ranger up and running when it broke down on a FSR. Those days of buying a cheap used vehicle and doing the maintenance and repairs yourself are over. Every vehicle newer than approx the year 2000 requires proprietary tools....some require multiple proprietary tools. When these newer vehicles break down....you're looking to start at 1000$ just to have the mechanic open the hood. The average Joe CANNOT fix most things on these newer vehicles....

So yeah....it's easier to just buy something new or with low mileage and have peace of mind. Why buy a 2005 beater when you are still going to pay through the nose to keep it running?

[salmonrook]

    Missing the point again ,
Sure you can buy a new vehicle , along with the 600 dollar  payment and then complain that you have no money .
Lots of decent vehicles out there that can be fixed or driven on the cheap , its just the will to drive them .
 These also have a better insurance rate .
 As  for proprietary tools you can buy a code scanner that will tell you whats wrong with your vehicle .
Of the older vehicles , yes the lower mileage ones are the ones to buy .